Gameplay Journal Entry #4: Mitchell Dreifuerst
Counter-Gaming, according to Alexander Galloway, revolves around the idea that “when the mod rises to the level of art, rather than a gesture of fandom — as Counter-Strike was to HalfLife — then, more often than not, the game loses its rule set completely and ceases to be a game after all”¹. However, sometimes the modification is not just for easy cheats or pleasing visuals. If the line between difference between a mod and a game can become so blurred, then it would make sense that such a mod can inherit more than a game’s mechanics; it can also inherit the potential of sensing a message. That is what American artist Brent Watanabe attempted to showcase with his modification of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In his thirteen-day project², he aimed to showcase Animal Crossing’s debt payment system in the form a different viewpoint: neoliberalism.
One of Watanabe’s main purposes for this mod comes from his obsession of obtaining numerous wasteful consumer goods in the main installment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watanabe’s modification structured his deserted island with no other citizens, only his house and yards of items with no practical use. The island is so small and packed full of items that there is barely any room to move around. This mod was mean to give the “message” of crippling debt; essentially criticizing how Animal Crossing can introduce the system of capitalism to an unsuspecting audience, especially during a time when everyone is stuck inside their homes. The number of consumable goods presented gives the impression of how people can feed the consumerism market by but so many things they don’t have any practical use for, and Watanabe’s use of his mod island pokes criticism at Nintendo for promoting said system.
Sources:
- ¹Citation: Galloway, Alexander, Citing Source: Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture, 2006, Pg.107
- ²Project Page (Video Included): https://www.gamescenes.org/2020/09/event-vral-9_brent-watanabe-september-18-october-1-2020.html